We are drowning—in consumer goods, social media feeds, and an endless rush of information. In a world driven by algorithms and corporate interests, how do we stay steady while engaging with the struggles around us? Avoidance can feel like self-preservation, but disengagement risks complicity. True practice—whether in yoga, meditation, or daily life—demands more than personal enrichment; it calls for action. What can we do to build a world of dignity, meaning, and justice ..read more

Take a moment. Be aware of your feet. Maybe this insight might resonate: our feet are truly fabulous. Whatever their size, whatever their condition: our feet are truly fabulous. Really quite small in comparison to our body, yet our feet literally walk us through life (if we are fortunate enough to walk). The feet are our body’s platform ..read more

One of my treats (we all need treats) is a subscription to the New Yorker magazine. Its contents are variable, though frequently the cartoons are very funny. It did support the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and at best, its perspective could be described as mildly liberal. However, some articles are very good – and in 3 July 2023 issue there was a brilliant juxtaposing of two articles: the environmentalist writer Elizabeth Kolbert writing about plastics followed by a lengthy piece by Ava Kofman on penis extension surgery ..read more

Marek Edelman was born in Poland in 1922 and died in 2009. In 2001 he said: “Warsaw is my city. It is here that I learned Polish, Yiddish and German. It is here that at school, I learned one must always take care of others. It is also here that I was slapped in the face just because I was a Jew.” He was undoubtedly a hero; he was active in Jewish socialist groups and was one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943 ..read more

It is said that when Mahatma Gandhi was asked what he thought of western civilisation, his response was that he thought it might be a good idea. This is more likely a story than an actual event – however, an important point is being made ..read more

These are my notes taken from this book (published by Bristol University Press in 2022). Dan McQuillan is a lecturer in creative and social computing at Goldsmiths (London). I have known Dan since the late 1980s and we have been active in various campaigning and political groups ..read more

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Death takes many shapes and many forms. At the end of a well-lived long life. Or a life suddenly cut short. Not waking up after a night’s sleep. Walking out of the door and never coming home. A protracted process that causes great distress to the person dying and those around them. Life and death in this inescapable dance ..read more

Imagine. Someone standing outside 10 Downing Street saying this:“ As a representative of the new government, I guarantee that – unlike previous administrations – we will definitely all be walking our talk. I promise that this government will not be bribed and imprisoned by big tech, fossil fuel corporates, the food industry, pharmaceutical corporations, arms manufacturers. No longer will policies be dictated by these business interests. Instead, we will be guided by public health, environmental sustainability and principles such as transparency, inclusivity and human dignity. Rather than gover ..read more

It has to be emphasised that what follows are theories. Thanks to discussions and debates, theories change! So what I write here may be useful in five years…or maybe not. Understanding our nervous systems is useful for us as practitioners and teachers because this can guide us toward calmer and healthier well-being. These insights help us to understand how our bodies work and so make our practising more beneficial ..read more